


Marriage is the Only War

by AngieWithMels



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-03-01 10:19:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2769431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngieWithMels/pseuds/AngieWithMels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an attempt to bring peace between the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation, Katara and Zuko agree to marriage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh I don't know what I'm doing. I'm basically writing the fic I've always wanted to read, but no one else seems to have written.

Intermarriage. It made sense. An easy way to bring peace to the world. Katara had a sinking feeling that there was more to this meeting than what met the eye when she saw a woman sitting silently next to Chief Arnook. As she found her seat next to her father, kneeling on the cold ice of the palace floor, she carefully observed the newcomer.

Her hair was braided too intricately.

Her suspicions seemed to hold weight, as the chief seemed entirely uninterested in what Zuko was saying, and was seeming to bring the meeting off topic with a few pointed questions at the state of the Fire Nation’s royal family.

Fire Lord Zuko had looked uncomfortable in the cold palace of the North Pole, and Katara could see his jaw clenching and unclenching as the council’s talks slowly, but pointedly, turned towards marriage. He was gesturing a bit too wildly with his arms, his voice getting a bit loud as he talked about ocean currents and iron goods.

He had come to smooth over trade agreements, and it seemed like the North Pole’s chief had had an ulterior motive.

In the form of a terrified, tiny woman sitting silently next to him.

“I believe that these trade agreements will not be enough to sway my people,” Chief Arnook had said, interrupting Zuko in the middle of one of his attempts to steer the discussions to something less personal, “I believe marriage is the quickest way to bring the masses on the side of peace with the Fire Nation.”

Straight to the point, Katara noted, pressing her mouth into a thin line.

Zuko’s words died on his lips, his mouth hanging open, his eyes wide. He looked ridiculous, dressed in his imposing armor, his topknot and crown, and gaping like a fish holding a proposed map. “I’m sorry,” he eventually sputtered, “What?”

Chief Arnook gestured to the tiny woman, just a girl, Katara thought, “This is my niece, Buniq. A marriage with her would be a solid agreement between the Water Tribe and the Fire Nation.” The girl, Buniq, bowed down, but made certain not to look anyone in the eyes, her focus aimed squarely at the ice in front of her.

“I cannot possibly-..” Zuko blurted out before an advisor abruptly jerked on his shoulder and whispered in his ear. Katara watched as his expression twisted, uncomfortable and flushed as the advisor spoke in hushed tones. The tension in the air was so thick she could bend. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as Zuko quietly listened.

Katara looked around. Aang looked oddly excited by all of it. Sokka was picking at his beads, awkwardly avoiding anyone’s gaze. He’d been purposely avoiding meeting with the Fire Nation, politics and trade meetings bored him. He hardly seemed to notice the air around them. She was halfway sure he hadn’t even heard the Chief’s proposal, but she didn’t miss the way his own jaw hardened.

And her father, Hakoda sat straight as a board, avoiding her glances and looking only at the Northern chief.

“I-I.. I will accept the proposal,” Zuko’s voice suddenly started again. It was the most hesitant thing she had ever heard Zuko say, the words sounding like they had been forced out. They hadn’t even been out of his mouth for half a second when he looked ready to take it all back.

Buniq’s eyes teared up, and Katara watched as she swallowed thickly. The girl reached for her teacup and Katara saw the tremors in her hands.

“Oh wow, a wedding. I’ve never been to a wedding before!” Aang’s excited voice filled the room as the people in the palace exchanged glances with each other. A low rumble filled the air as people began to talk back and forth with each other. Zuko was looking at his future bride with apprehension. The bride blinked a little too hard, and a long tear tracked down her cheek.

Katara could feel the girl’s heartbeat all the way across the room. It sounded ready to burst from her chest. A terrified staccato that called out for help. Every bender in the room must’ve felt it. Why wasn’t anyone standing up for this terrified woman?

“No.”

Katara hadn’t realized she’d said anything until she noticed everyone looking at her. She swallowed thickly, thinking her next words through carefully before making a shaky exhale.

“Buniq will not marry the Fire Lord.”

Chief Arnook was a proud and smart man. He looked at Katara carefully, and his voice held no anger or harshness to it, to which she would be eternally grateful. If she had to guess, she figured he knew exactly what her next words would be, “What would you propose, Katara?”

Her hands trembled the same as Buniq’s as she lowed herself in a deep bow, her forehead touching the icy floor of the palace. When she rose back to her sitting position, she met Zuko’s amber eyes and mustered all the resolve she held.

“As the daughter of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, I offer my own hand in marriage to the Fire Lord.”

The room was quiet for three very long seconds. Then all hell broke loose. The Northern Tribe’s council broke into objections, Sokka snapped out of his reverie, starting to yell something, Hakoda looked at her with wide eyes, beginning to say something along the lines of “What are saying, Katara?” as though her intentions hadn’t been clearly spelled out.

Aang looked at her, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion at the change of events, “But Katara, when did you fall in love with Zuko?”

Katara would roll her eyes at Aang’s incredible ignorance in the matters of political marriage, but her eyes were focused solely on Zuko. His own eyes, shocked, looked back at her as his advisors all flocked to his side to give their advice. Eventually she broke his gaze and looked around the room.

Gran-Gran was looking at her with an indescribable gaze. It was as though she were trying to send a message across the ice, directly into her brain, but Katara couldn’t decipher it. She broke that look, and fixed her eyes on Buniq.

The young girl looked at her in shock, eyes filled with tears. And then, she broke into a wide smile and bowed down to her. Katara could feel the waves of relief rolling off of the young woman’s body. It solidified her own resolve.

“Enough,” Chief Arnook spoke, and the voices in the room died down until it was only the buzzing whispers of the Fire Nation advisors left. Eventually they died away, as every person in the room focused their attention on the Fire Lord. “Fire Lord Zuko, do you accept the amended proposal?”

Zuko didn’t look at the chief. He looked at Katara carefully.

“Yes.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara and Zuko speak about the engagement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit, I'm not as happy with this chapter as I thought I'd be.

The meeting ended without a hitch, and after just a few hours, Katara found herself wide awake on her camel yak pelt blanket. Her heart beat fast in her chest, and every now and then she had to breathe through her mouth because she felt like she was drowning in anxiety. 

The adrenaline had pumped through her veins without end for the hours she had sat, as Zuko had stumbled over trade routes and goods, drinking her tea and avoiding the gaze of her brother and father. Their eyes burned holes into the side of her head, asking questions that she had no answers to.

And the adrenaline did not cease now, as she laid staring at the ice ceiling above her.

She laid there for a few hours before the restlessness finally became too much for her to handle. The quiet, crisp air seemed to mock her own flushed, agitated skin. She got up, switching out her lighter sleeping clothes for the leather and furs of her training gear. Perhaps, if she worked up enough of a sweat, she could fall asleep.

Katara slunk out of her room, tip-toeing until she found the pathways of the palace and taking quiet, quick steps towards the Spirit Oasis.

What was I thinking? she asked herself as she walked through the empty gardens and courtyards. The half-moon hung quietly in the sky, giving her no answer as she crossed over the bridges to her favorite part of the palace.

She couldn’t contain her groan when she noticed another person already there.

The person startled at the noise and looked up at her, and Katara found herself looking into familiar yellow eyes. The eyes of her betrothed.

“What are you doing here?” they both asked at the same time.

Katara stood there, her mouth gaped open, “I came here to train. I couldn't sleep. Why are you possibly awake?”

Zuko shrugged and looked away from her, instead looking at the two koi fish, “I was hoping to meditate. I couldn't sleep either.”

Katara stood at the outside of the enclave, hesitating as she watched Zuko’s silhouette. She should probably leave, she realized. She could find somewhere else to practice – the coast, perhaps. The coast would be the most logical place to train. Why hadn’t she gone there first?

But instead she found herself walking forward, towards her – oh wow, fiancé – and settling down next to him, her hands clenched into nervous fists on her legs. He looked at her in surprise when she found her spot at his side, before fixing his gaze back on the fish swimming before them.

They sat in silence for quite a while, before Katara heard Zuko clear his throat. She held her breath as she waited for the question she knew was coming. The question everyone seemed eager to ask. The one she had no real answer for.

“Why did you offer yourself for marriage?”

It was simple, it really was. But it didn’t really have a simple answer. If the answer were so easily available, she would be sound asleep right now. But instead, the question haunted her. It had happened so quickly, she hadn’t even thought about it. Instead, it was as though someone else had offered herself. Someone else had sacrificed herself to become the wife of the Fire Lord. 

“I guess,” she said shakily, before swallowing, “the girl, Buniq, she just…” she trailed off, unable to finish her thought.

“She looked scared,” Zuko’s voice said softly. The truth of the statement seemed to saturate the air, and she nodded numbly.

“Yeah, she just looked so terrified. And she is so young. I couldn’t possibly let her…” Katara trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence out loud. But the implication stood, plain as day, between them.

Zuko was looking at her pointedly, his gaze sharp, “You look terrified.”

Katara made a hysterical giggle before covering her mouth with her hand, swallowing a lump in her throat. All the thoughts she had had earlier in the night came back to her. The responsibility, the pressure, the whole “living in a new land” thing that she hadn’t really thought through when she had offered herself.

But Zuko was her friend. Zuko had helped them defeat the Fire Lord. 

He helped her find closure in her mother’s death.

Finally the words came to her numb lips, letting her kill the silence, “She’s so young. She shouldn’t be given to political marriage. I know better. I know you. I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”

Zuko scoffed at her, turning himself to look at her fully, “She would have been fine. I wouldn’t have hurt her or forced her to…-“ he stopped suddenly, and in the bright moonlight, she saw his face darken in a flush as he spoke before he thought, before repeating “she would have been fine.”

“You would expect a scared young woman like her to give you an heir?” Katara asked, a look of disgust on her face, although her tone was teasing, “She looks only fifteen.”

“An heir?” Zuko sputtered, looking at her as though she had grown two heads, “I wouldn’t have forced her to produce an heir..!”

Katara blinked and looked at him with wide eyes, “What are you talking about?”

Zuko looked away from her, his face darkening even further in a blush.

“Zuko, look at me,” she asked, but he refused, his posture looking only more determined to look at the koi pond. His shoulders hunched, as though to cover his ears.

“Zuko, you have to produce an heir, for the good of this world.”

He rolled his eyes, but maintained his gaze at the water.

“No Zuko, I’m serious. If you die without an heir, who will take over the throne?”

That seemed to give him pause. For a long minute, he was silent, but she saw his shoulders start to sag.

“Zuko,” Katara said softly, “if you do not give an heir, the Fire Nation will descend into political chaos, trying to find a new ruler. Who knows what kind of person will obtain the throne. Spirits forbid, Azula or her…” she gulped, “her children may find their birthrate as the head of the Fire Nation.” Her voice seemed to still everything in the air, the slight breeze even dying down at the seriousness of her words.

“And you would give me an heir?” she heard him breathe, and then she felt a blush cover her own cheeks at the implication.

She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he looked at her, “Zuko, I would do anything to preserve the peace between the nations.”

His face hardened and he looked away from her, the two of them falling in silence to watch Tui and La swim around each other.

Katara eventually let out a harsh laugh, “Why couldn’t you have married Mai all those years ago. Everything would’ve been much simpler.”

Zuko stiffened, straightening his back, before harshly asking, “Why couldn’t you have married the Avatar?”

Katara let out a sharp exhale, as though she’d been punched. She looked at him, hurt, “Why would you ask such a thing?”

His jaw clenched and relaxed over and over again, before he closed his eyes and let out a controlled breath. She sat there, watching him carefully, as he relaxed his body before reopening his eyes.

“Mai didn’t want to be a Fire Lord’s wife,” he murmured, and she barely heard his words over the sounds of the koi playing in the pond, “She left when it became clear that I would have to stay in the capital and that she would have to play the role as a noble. I don’t think…” he trailed off and scratched his next, wringing his fingers together.  
“You don’t think what? Katara prompted, unable to let the words trail away.

“I don’t think she realized what she was getting into,” he said finally. “The role of a nobleperson, of a leader, it’s so much different than the excitement of traveling the world and fighting battles for the good of the world. It’s so much suffocating.” Then he looked at her, “I don’t think you realize what you’re getting into, either.”

Katara pressed her lips together in a thin line and rolled her eyes, which made Zuko let out a small laugh, until they were both having silent giggles in the Oasis.

“You know why I didn’t marry Aang?” Katara asked, finally. The giggles died off as Zuko looked at her, patiently and without prompting. Very much the opposite of herself, she noted ruefully. “Aang is so young, and in the few years since your father was defeated, he’s grown so much. Both of us did. We became adults.” She shook her head and looked away from Zuko’s gaze, instead watching the fish, “But we grew in different directions.”

“I can understand that,” she heard Zuko whisper, but she didn’t look at him.

For a long time they sat there, still, watching Tui and La in their eternal dance. Then sun started to peak over the horizon, painting the dark sky in new colors, before the two benders finally decided to part ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to follow me at angelaandmels.tumblr.com for updates and such for this story and others!
> 
> Please leave comments if you like how the story is going. I am very receptive to constructive criticism.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara faces the morning after her outburst.

Katara slunk like a burglar all the way back to her room, sneakily dodging past early-wakers and children who woke up too early for their own good. Her footsteps were silent and light and she found herself back in her room, slipping her tigerseal-pelt coat off of her shoulders, completely undetected.

Home free.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a soft voice clearing her throat. She rose her hands in an instinctual movement to defend herself, gripping her waterskin, and found herself looking into the kind, blue eyes of her grandmother.

Katara gasped in relief, holding a hand to her chest, “Gran Gran! You scared me half to death! What are you doing here? The sun is barely up, you should go lay back down and rest.”

Gran Gran gave her a small smile and walked forward, putting her hands on Katara’s shoulders. Katara felt herself relax just a tiny bit.

“You’re right child, it is early. So why am I catching you sneaking into your room in the early minutes of the morning?”

Katara’s breath caught in her throat as she began to scramble for an excuse. “Oh, um, I was just um… I was going to go train by the… um… ocean? Yes, yes, I went to go train under the moon on the shores.” She nodded to herself only to look back at her grandmother’s smirking face.

“Katara, you should be able to tell by the wrinkles on my face that I wasn’t born yesterday,” Gran Gran gave a small chuckle and sat on the bed, patting the spot next to her, “Talk to me, my dear child. Tell me the truth.”

Katara felt the adrenaline of being caught drain out of her in one last exhale, her posture slumping as she sat next to her grandmother. She twiddled her thumbs for a few seconds, “I went to the Spirit Oasis because I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted, hoping Gran Gran wouldn’t notice any omission.

If only she could be so lucky.

“And what did you do there?” Gran Gran probed. Katara bit her lip and chose her words carefully.

“I… I watched Tui and La swim around in their pond.”

“Were you there alone?”

She let out a defeated groan and covered her face, letting out a muffled, “No.”

A hand rested on her back and rubbed comforting circles, “And who else was there, dear?”

“Zuko.”

“The Fire Lord?” she paused for a second, before connecting the piece, “Oh, you’re sneaking off to see your betrothed?” Gran Gran’s teasing tone made Katara blush behind her hands.

“It’s not like that, Gran Gran. I didn’t even know he was going to be there. He just… He couldn’t sleep either.”

“Ohh,” Gran Gran drew out the syllable, the teasing tone still present, “You know, I couldn’t sleep either, the night of my betrothal.”

“To Master Pakku? When you were young?” Katara asked, peering from the side of her hands.

“Oh yes, to Pakku. But also to your grandfather,” Gran Gran gave her a wide smile as Katara’s eyes widened.

“But you wanted to be married to Papa!” Katara objected, her hands slapping down in her lap. She looked at her grandmother, her eyebrows pulled together in confusing. Gran Gran coughed a small laugh in response.

“You think that just because I loved him, I wasn’t nervous?” she continued to laugh, while Katara sat in shock. “Why, I couldn’t sleep when Master Pakku proposed to me the second time!”

“What? Why not?”

Gran Gran only shrugged her shoulders in response, her smile wide, “Why, I suppose everyone gets butterflies when the future is imminent.”

Gran Gran scooted closer, putting her thin arm around Katara’s shoulders, “You know, when your mother Kya got engaged to your father, I found her pacing outside of her igloo. And I knew I’d find her. A newly-betrothed woman worrying is something you can always count on.” She gave her a wink.

“Mother was nervous about marrying dad? But her and dad were so…” Katara drifted off. She didn’t know how to describe her parent’s love. It had seemed so easy, so carefree. A perfect pairing.

“Oh yes, your father loved your mother very much. And she loved him just the same. The two of them worked well together, making good decisions and having the same goals in mind. Both of them had big hearts that yearned to be loved, and to give love.” Gran Gran nodded to herself and tugged Katara in closer in a side-embrace.

“Then why was mother so worried?”

“Oh, my Hakoda was just as worried. My, he went hunting so many times that first month after their betrothal, they hardly got any planning done,” Gran Gran chuckled and shook her head at the memories.

“But I don’t understand.”

Gran Gran looked at Katara, mirth dancing in her eyes, “Why, it’s so mysterious, isn’t it?”

“What is mysterious?”

“The future,” Gran Gran said, nodding to herself, “Even when you’ve travelled all over the world, even when you’ve fought the battles of war and faced hardship, marriage is a whole different field. You’ve never had that kind of experience. Forming a family, being half of a whole. Not in the way a husband and a wife are two parts of the same being.”

Katara caught herself twisting her hands and tried to keep them still in her lap as Gran Gran continued.

“You see, Hakoda was already finding himself a leader in his hunting groups and in skirmishes against the Fire Nation that he barely spent any time at home. Somehow, in the times of feast and peace, he spent enough time with Kya to fall in love. But still, he had his doubts. Not only in the idea of marriage, but in his own abilities to be a husband and, eventually, a father.”

Katara mulled over the words, biting her lip. For a few minutes, they sat there as Katara absorbed the information and tossed it around in her mind.

“What about mother? When you found her, pacing, what did she tell you?”

Gran Gran smiled, a look of nostalgia on her face. “Oh, your mother. She thought she would be an inadequate wife to such a grand warrior. A man destined to be chief, she told me, and if I marry him, I’m going to be the chief’s wife.

“Oh your mother, she worried over nothing. Her love and abilities blossomed under the pressure of the village, and she excelled, becoming the best she would ever be.”

Gran Gran took Katara’s hands in her own, making eye contact, “People like you and her flourish under stress and new situations. You become the best possible version of yourself when you’re facing challenges head-on. You are very much your mother’s daughter.”

Katara felt her chin tremble before her grandmother pulled her in for an embrace, her frail hand running down her back.

“Gran Gran, I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into.”

“Oh my dear child, I know your actions may have been rash, but certainly you know it’s not as bad as you think.” She pulled away from Katara, brushing her granddaughter’s hair out of her face and wiping away the tears, “Tell me, why did you offer your own hand in marriage to the young Fire Lord.”

Katara swallowed, steadying her voice, “The girl, Buniq, she looked so scared. I couldn’t let her be offered. She was too young. And an intermarriage between the Southern Water Tribe and Fire Nation is a way to bring peace between the two nations faster than simple trade.”

Gran Gran nodded, before prodding her further, “And the young Fire Lord, is he a good man?”

Katara nodded, “Yes, he helped us to defeat Ozai. He is a close friend.”

Gran Gran shook her head ever so slightly. Katara looked at her confused, “Why are you shaking your head?”

Gran Gran gave her a small smile, “Katara, a good friend is not necessarily a good husband. You should know this after what happened with Aang.”

Katara tried to pull back, shocked, but Gran Gran pulled her back in, giving her a small kiss on the forehead.

“I do not mean to dissuade you from your marriage to the Fire Lord. I just think, perhaps, you should find some other aspect in him to solidify your decision. Find out what would make him a good husband. See if you would make two, strong halfs of a sturdy whole.” With one last pat on the knee, Gran Gran stood up and stretched.

“Now, Katara, I don’t know about you, but I feel it’s much too early to be awake. I would recommend you find a few hours of sleep before heading out and facing the day.”

Katara managed a smile, suddenly feeling the exhaustion, “Yes, I think you’re right, Gran Gran.”

 

* * *

 

It seemed like as soon as she closed her eyes, Katara heard a knock at the door. The lighting change in the room seemed to indicate that she had gotten a few hours, she noted as she groggily walked, pulling it open and letting in even more sunlight. She squinted her eyes, until the shadow in front of her became more detailed.

It was one of Chief Arnook’s secretaries.

“Hello, Master Katara!” the man said cheerily, before bowing, “Chief Arnook has requested your presence at breakfast this morning.”

A wary smile found its way on her face, and she gave a small nod, “Yes, of course. When is the breakfast?”

“About half an hour,” the man said, “I can wait outside for you to get dressed and then will escort you to the private dining room of the palace.”

She couldn’t stop the scowl that crossed over her face, but nodded and closed the door. Walking over to the vanity, she undid her messy braid and took a boardog-hair brush to the locks. She brushed her hair quickly, before braiding it swiftly and looping two sections in front and attaching them in the back.

She hesitated, looking at her clothes. Should she wear something more formal to the breakfast? Surely, this early in the morning, it was too soon to wear anything too fancy. She finally decided on her blue, fur-lined dress and her lined pants. It teetered on the edge of casual, but at least it had no rips or stains.

The walk to the palace was silent, the assistant – whose name she couldn’t remember for the life of her – wasn’t much for conversation. He only walked briskly down the streets, taking sharp turns and speed walking down the roads without so much of a backwards glance towards the waterbender.

All too soon and feeling completely unprepared, Katara found herself sitting on her knees, across the table from the chief of the Northern Water Tribe, a warm cup of tea in her mittened hands.

“Master Katara!” Chief Arnook boomed, the noise much too loud in the quiet and nearly-empty room, “I am glad you were able to meet me for the morning meal. Tell me, how are you feeling?”

A pleasant but wary expression spread on her face, “I am feeling quite well. How are you, Chief?”

He smiled back at her, “Oh yes, I am very good. I have some wonderful jasmine tea that I knew I just had to share with my honored guest.”

The awkward small talk filled the room with a thick tension that didn’t seem to clear despite the polite back-and-forth. After a few benign questions and comments, Katara found herself becoming more and more anxious.

Eventually Chief Arnook placed his cup on the table and crossed his hands, laying them in front of himself, silently commanding attention.

“Master Katara, I am very pleased about your engagement to Fire Lord Zuko, so I was hoping we could discuss the preliminary logistics of your marriage.”

Katara raised an eyebrow, not following.

“I’ve arranged for you and Fire Lord Zuko to see a fortune teller this afternoon. I’ve assigned a guide to take the two of you to her so there won’t be any confusion.” He gave a short chuckle that seemed out of place, “I’m sure quite a few fortune tellers are out there hoping to gain fame by telling you your wedding date, but this one is a trusted official of the Tribe. She has never steered a young couple wrong.”

“I’m sorry,” Katara interrupted, “I’m afraid I don’t understand. Can you clarify why do we need to see a fortune teller?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the Chief said, “Do you not have the same traditions in the Southern Water Tribe?”

“What traditions?”

“Oh, excuse me,” he said, chuckling, “Here in the Northern Water Tribe, we go to a fortune teller to find the best date for a wedding. The fortune teller takes the dates of birth and the locations of the births of the betrothed, takes note of the stars, and finds a date which gives the best harmony for the marriage.”

Katara nearly rolled her eyes but stopped herself, “I’m sorry, Chief Arnook. I’ve never heard of such a thing. I believe that such a ritual is superstition.”

The Chief let her words roll off his back like a turtleduck, not looking even a little fazed, “Yes, I know how silly it may seem to an _outsider_ , but the tradition is very important in the Northern Tribe, and a marriage may even not be recognized if these traditions aren’t taken. My own marriage was charted in the same way.”

Katara gaped at him like a fish, her back stiffening at the reference of herself as an outsider. Somehow she managed to bite her tongue and bowed to him, “Chief Arnook, thank you very much for the breakfast,” she made a side-glance at her untouched plate but hoped he would ignore the faux-pas. Everything was becoming too real, “but I am feeling a bit fatigued. There has been a lot to take in over the past half-day. I’m sure you understand.”

The Chief seemed a bit put-off by her excusing herself, but gave the polite response and she quickly left the room.

 

* * *

 

Katara walked down the street, muttering to herself about “ridiculous superstition” and “What’s the rush?” before she met eyes with, perhaps, the person she wanted to see least.

She darted towards an alleyway that crossed over to another pathway, hoping to get away before he noticed her, but it was too late. His long legs covered more ground that her own, and his hand landed heavy on her shoulder.

“Katara, what are you doing?” he exclaimed, a bit too loud for the rapidly populating walkways, “Offering yourself for marriage? And are you purposely avoiding me? Because I have been looking all over the Pole for you!”

A few people looked at the two of them, and Katara found herself beginning to flush at suddenly being the center of attention.

“Sokka will you be quiet?” she whispered, looking around before grabbing him arm and pulling him towards the wall of a building, where at least they wouldn’t be completely surrounded by eavesdroppers.

Sokka, thankfully, wasn’t nearly as loud as he had been as a teenager, finding a bit of tact before unloading another barrage of questions. This time, at least, at a more reasonable volume, “Married to Zuko? The Fire Lord? You know you’d have to live in the Fire Nation. And weren’t you in love with Aang?”

Katara rolled her eyes, “Sokka, me and Aang decided it wasn’t going to work months ago. I told you this!”

“I just think – don’t you sigh at me – I just think that you guys should give it a little more time before you freaking rush off and _marry the Fire Lord_.”

“Sokka, me and Aang weren’t going to work, that’s just the way it is. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you this!” she hissed.

He hissed back, and Katara took notice of the people that were obviously trying to listen in on the conversation. Her cheeks heated even further.

“I don’t understand how it couldn’t work with Aang, our best friend, the Avatar, and yet it’s somehow going to work with Zuko.”

Katara straightened, taking offense, and Sokka had the sound-of-mind to take a half step back.

“A good friend doesn’t necessarily make a good husband,” Katara barked back, repeating Gran Gran’s words from before.

“And what makes Zuko a good husband?” he asked, incredulous.

“I don’t know!” she said back, a bit too loud. People were now opening staring, and she felt tears spring to her eyes. It was too much. It was too much pressure, she was embarrassed and tired, and all the emotion and stress jumped up behind her eyes and made them burn. She blinked rapidly, and shamefully felt a tear start to fall down her cheek. She rubbed it away angrily.

“Whoa, whoa!” Sokka said, angling himself to cut off the line of sight between her and the small crowd they were attracting. “Katara, please, don’t cry. I’m sorry, I’m being a huge jerk, don’t cry.”

Katara made a small, sob-like laugh, but nodded. She sniffled a few times, regaining her composure. In a very unSokka-like move, he pulled her into an embrace.

He had shot up a good six or so inches since the war ended, his chin resting on the top of her head, “I just… I’m just worried, you know? These last few years, mom dying, dad leaving to fight a war, us fighting a war ourselves with Aang, trying to keep peace in the colonies, and these civil skirmishes, we haven’t really been a family for a long time.”

She heard him let out a long sigh and swallow.

“I don’t want to lose you. Not when things are finally starting to settle down.”

She pulled herself away just a bit, her arms still around his waist, “Sokka, you’re so naïve if you think that things are starting to settle down,” she said with a teasing smile.

He smiled, “You’re probably right. But you know what I’m talking about.”

She did, “You won’t lose me, Sokka, I promise.”

He kissed her forehead before letting go of his embrace and ruffling his hand on the top off her head, unlodging her hair loopies. He laughed when she gasped and immediately tried smoothing her hair. She punched his shoulder.

“Sokka, why would you do that?”

“Because you’re my little sister!”

Despite how the words warmed her heart, Katara bent a snowball in her hand, threw it, and chased him down the streets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me at angelaandmels.tumblr.com for updates!
> 
> I always appreciate comments and welcome asks on my blog.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chief Arnook kept his word about them seeing the fortune teller promptly, because by the time Katara had gotten back to her igloo, there was a man standing at the door waiting for her, an anxious and tired-looking Fire Lord at his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! This chapter comes a bit early because I apparently don't like sitting on chapter. Within the next chapter (or two, if a plot bunny gets away from me) should be the wedding.

Chief Arnook kept his word about them seeing the fortune teller promptly, because by the time Katara had gotten back to her igloo, there was a man standing at the door waiting for her, an anxious and tired-looking Fire Lord at his side.

“Zuko! What are you doing here?” she ran the last few steps, looking around in confusion. The other man immediately started walking away and Zuko followed, leaving Katara no real choice except to walk with them.

“Zuko?” Katara asked, placing her hand on his arm. He jerked just a bit, as though he had been zoning out and she brought him back to attention. He had dark circles under his eyes.

To be fair, there were circles under her own.

“Where are we going?” she asked. She and Zuko slowed just a bit so their guide was a few meters in front of them and out of earshot.

He let out a fast sigh and shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t really know. Chief Arnook said something about a fortune teller but I was too tired to really pay attention. I didn’t ask any questions.”

Katara pressed her lips together, “You didn’t sleep when you went back to your room?”

“I got ambushed by a bunch of advisors who apparently panicked when they saw my room empty.” He flushed and gave her a sheepish smile. She mirrored it.

“I was ambushed too,” she said with a teasing smirk.

“So what is this fortune teller, anyway?” Zuko asked, rubbing his eyes. He tripped on an errant snow drift and stumbled forward a few steps. “Ugh. I’m really not used to all-nighters.”

“Neither am I,” Katara admitted. “The fortune teller is used to give the best date for the wedding so as to give a happier and longer-lasting marriage.”

He snorted and she felt a sudden flush of embarrassment spear through her.

“That is stupid superstition,” he said.

Katara found herself too exhausted to defend it. She let out a long sigh, “I know. We don’t do it in the Southern Water Tribe. Chief Arnook said it would be the best way to make our marriage more official to the tribes.”

He didn’t say anything in response, so she looked at him. He looked like he was fighting a nervous smile and his cheeks were tinted red.

Abashed, she focused on the guide in front of them and picked up the pace. Zuko matched his footsteps with hers, but the rest of the walk was done in silence, both of them wringing their hands.

* * *

 

“What do you mean you don’t know the day you were born on?” Ukiuk said exasperatedly, waving her arms around in a flurry. Her seal lion-bone bracelets clanged against each other and she looked at her worn book with her white eyebrows scrunched together.

“You’re a prince!” Katara bit out. The house of the fortune-teller was thick with incense and her patience was burning down faster than she could compose herself, “How can your birthdate not be recorded?”

Zuko looked just as irritated as he cut back, “Of course we record the births of the royal family. What are we, hippo cows?”

She rolled her eyes, “I don’t know, Zuko. _Are_ you hippo cows?”

He reared back in offense. His mouth opened, probably to say something just as nasty back to her when the fortune teller cleared her throat.

“If they keep records of all the births, why do you not know your birthdate?”

“I know my birthdate!” Zuko yelled, perhaps a little too loudly, because his voice was much meeker with the following “We just follow a different calendar.”

“A different calendar? Really? You’re too good for the rest of the world’s calendar?” Katara flew her arms out in exaggeration. Her breath heaved noisily through her nose.

“Look, it’s not my calendar, okay? My grandfather made it when he started the war.”

Katara scoffed and crossed her arms. He mimicked her. She scoffed again and turned her head away from him, looking at the wall.

A thick air of tension laced with incense flowed between them as Ukiuk glanced awkwardly back-and-forth. She cleared her throat and scribbled a few things on her paper, muttering under her breath.

“Well,” she said finally, “no matter. I can tell exactly what you are on the Zodiac.” She took a pair of dice and shook them in her hands before splaying them out on the table.

“On that what?” Zuko asked sarcastically, and Katara smacked him on the shoulder. He narrowed his eyes and rubbed his arm, giving her a scowl.

A heat ran up her spine to the base of her skull and Katara could swear she saw red when she saw the fortune teller startle as though she remembered something. The old woman reached over to the incense burning in the corner.

“Oh no, this is the wrong incense. No wonder the two of you are fighting,” Katara heard her mutter before flinging the sticks in a surprisingly strong throw out the window. The ice cold air from outside flowed into the room, destroying the last few tendrils of smoke rising in the air. Katara blinked as the rage emptied out of her body, leaving just an over-exhausted water bender behind.

Zuko’s tense posture slouched and she heard him make a soft sigh of relief. She mirrored the sigh.

She felt an ashamed blush cross over her cheeks, “I’m sorry, Zuko.”

“I forgive you,” he responded sleepily. They both yawned.

The fortune teller cleared her throat again, and the two young adults focused their attention back on her, red staining their cheeks. She reached a hand forward, “If you could give me your hands – you know, before you fall asleep?” She grasped both of their wrists into her one large grip and, before they could react, pricked the both of their fingers.

“Ouch!” Katara yelped, while Zuko jumped in his seat. Both of them yanked their hands back but Ukiuk was already looking at the blood-tipped needle with piercing eyes. She nodded to herself and ran the needle along a piece of parchment.

“Just one more test, to be sure,” Ukiuk said cheerfully, as though she hadn’t just assaulted two of the most powerful benders in the world and shook a cup full of animal bones. She splayed the remains of a vertebrae on the table and counted on her weathered fingers.

“Yes, yes. Your wedding date shall be in twenty days.”

Both of them began to sputter. Zuko found his words before Katara could figure out how to work her tongue, “In twenty days? Why so soon?” He jumped to his feet.

The fortune teller gave him a tired look and rolled her eyes, “Because that’s what the spirits say, of course!”

“The spirits?” Zuko’s voice jumped an octave and was becoming shriller, “Contact them again! We need at least two months!”

Ukiuk looked offended, “You think I would misinterpret the spirits?”

“I think you’re smelling too much of that damn incense!” Zuko yelled back, his face red in either embarrassment or anger, Katara couldn’t be sure. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed the firebender’s arm. He lost his footing, stumbling a bit at the unexpected contact.

“Thank you!” Katara managed to say, and she hoped she said it somewhat cheerfully. “We will be going now.” She pulled on his arm until they were outside. The open window had done wonders with clearing her mind, but stepping outside – out of the crowded room was even better.

Zuko jerked his arm away and gaped at her, “Twenty days. You couldn’t possibly-… She can’t possibly-… I can’t possibly-…!” he struggled to find words to finish any of the sentences he was starting. He shook his head in frustration, “Your Water Tribe traditions are ridiculous!”

Katara gasped at him, “MY traditions? I wasn’t born here! I’m Southern Water Tribe you pompous ass! And _these_ traditions are ridiculous? You’re the one who apparently follows a _different calendar_.”

His nose twitched before he turned around, his cape swirling around his legs, “I need some sleep,” he bit out. He stormed away, presumably to his own room in the Pole’s palace.

She seethed for a few hours, walking back and forth in her room, yelling in frustration to Gran Gran and throwing Aang out of her room when he came to check in on her until the sun began to set in the sky, and she threw herself on her bed. Her body was so tired she was asleep before she could even manage to pull a blanket on top of herself.

* * *

 

The next two weeks passed in a flurry of activity. Invitations were written and sent out on the fastest messenger hawks and boats. The harbor swelled with dozens of ships from around the world, bringing in emissaries, ambassadors, nobles, chiefs, and friends the Aang-gang had made during the war and in the years following.

Katara found herself often with Zuko as the two of them worked in a quiet flurry, okaying certain dishes, floral arrangements, music, and then leaving without an extra word to each other. The dark circles under his eyes became deeper and darker and Katara found herself unable to do much more than wear her warmest, loosest clothes and simplest hair.

When the joint-planning was over, the last ten days came down to the attire and Katara rarely saw Zuko at all. Her hands were sealed in warm wax and rubbed with lotion. Her nails were clipped to uniformity. Her hair was brushed and washed with oils that made it too heavy and fragrant for her to concentrate.

“Dammit!” she exclaimed as a thick, oily lock of hair dropped into her sight. She tried to handle it back into its ridiculous updo (a trial-run, the ladies of the court had said) but it fell stubbornly back into view. “Dammit dammit dammit!”

“Are you okay, Katara?” Aang asked, his air scooter dissipating. Katara gritted her teeth. This was supposed to be fun. This was supposed to be stress reducing. Training with one of her best friends. Instead, her muscles were tense and the overwhelming urge to cry was strong than ever.

She collapsed to her knees, her thin water-whip dropping alongside her as she covered her face. Her eyes burned with unshed tears and she let out a shuddering sob. Aang was by her side in a second, his comforting hand on her shoulder, “Katara? What’s wrong?”

“Everything’s wrong!” she wailed, and she couldn’t even find the decency to be ashamed of the childish tone. “I’m getting married to _Zuko_ in five days, they keep softening my hands with those lotions and my hair is so greasy with oil that I’ll never be able to wash it out!” She slammed her fists on the icy ground.

“I don’t understand,” Aang said, his gray eyes forever innocent and confused, “Didn’t you want to marry Zuko?”

She gaped at him. “Want to? Want to marry him? The pompous jerk who doesn’t even know his own birthday?”

Aang’s eyebrows furrowed at the odd statement and Katara couldn’t look at him anymore. She stared instead at her soft hands, with the perfectly clipped and filed nails.

“Katara?” Hakoda’s voice called across the courtyard, and she scrambled to wipe the tears off of her cheek.

“Father!” she said, pasting a smile on her face but the cheerful tone was false, and Hakoda knew her too well. She moved to stand up but found him kneeling next to her.

“Aang, could you leave us alone for a few minutes?” Hakoda asked, and the Avatar hesitated before nodding and taking off on his scooter. Hakoda turned his attention back on his daughter, who was currently avoiding his gaze, “Katara, what is wrong?”

“Everything’s wrong, dad,” she murmured, clicking her fingernails together, “I don’t know what I’m doing. Everything is going too fast. I didn’t realize when I offered myself that I would be married within the month. I don’t even think I realized I would be getting married at all.”

Her father’s arm wrapped around her shoulder and brought her close to his chest in a comforting and very much needed embrace.

“You can still back out, Katara.”

She shook her head, rubbing her eyes. Her body curled against her father’s, “I can’t. They’ll just offer another girl. Zuko has to accept a marriage proposal, Chief Arnook and Zuko’s advisors will make sure of it.”

She felt her father shift before he let out a long, defeated sigh, “I suppose you’re right.” They sat in relative silence for a few minutes. “Is he really as bad as your tears suggest he is?”

She let out a small sob, “Yes. Yes he is.”

“Really?” Hakoda said, his eyebrows raised, “Because even Sokka found him worthy of reluctant praise.”

Katara jerked and brought a hand up to her face. Her mittens came back wet and she rubbed her cheeks dry until they were raw. “You’re right. He’s not that bad. He’s not a bad person at all.” She sighed in exhaustion, slumping forward.

“Tell me about my future son,” Hakoda asked, and she heard the teasing tone of his voice.

“He’s the leader of the Fire Nation,” Katara started and when her father began to laugh, she followed his cue, their laughs filling the courtyard.

“Tell me more.” Her father moved so that he sat across from her instead of holding her. His warm smile filled her with hope. “Is he a good warrior?”

“One of the best firebenders in the world,” Katara nodded. “He can hold his own against dozens of men.”

“He’s intelligent? Brave?”

“Yes,” Katara nodded her head again, “He stood up against the Earth King and Aang even when his reputation and life were at stake to save the Fire colonies in the Earth Kingdom. If he had taken the easy road, he would’ve never founded Republic City.”

“He’s an honorable man?”

Never had she felt as sure about herself as she nodded. “He stood up against his father in combat as just a boy to save the lives of soldiers. He abandoned a life of luxury for the threat of death when he came to our side.”

“Well,” Hakoda nodded his head and put his hand on her shoulder, “I think your marriage has the foundation to be wonderful. A good man and a good woman together are a formidable pair. If you’re sure about this, then the Fire Nation – and the world – will be blessed to have the two of you at their reins.”

* * *

 

The last thing Katara had expected when she snuck out of her room in the dead of the night to practice her waterbending was to stumble upon a couple in a bitter squabble. She had been nearing the coast, the light of the moon humming in her veins so strongly – or perhaps that was the anxiety – that she nearly walked right into the middle of the argument.

Thankfully her brain fought its way to the forefront and gave her the heads-up to duck under a bridge as the fighters rounded a corner.

“Why did you even invite me?” the voice said, and it set off a bell in Katara’s mind. It was so familiar it nagged at the side of her thoughts. Where did she know that voice from?

“You’re the daughter of one of my father’s formerly-appointed governors. Your appearance is the symbol of the Fire Nation’s change of stance on the view of unity,” Zuko’s calculated voice responded in the clearly-rehearsed statement, and Katara nearly fell forward into the water of the canal when she placed the first voice.

“And that’s the only reason?” Mai snapped back, and the footsteps stopped moving. Katara held her breath. She could not think of a worse time to be found out than right then.

Thankfully the two of them seemed too engaged in their talk to realize they had an eavesdropper.

“No! Of course not!” Zuko said back, offended, “I also invited you because you are one of my closest friends.”

“Friends?” Mai’s voice rose in a shriek, her cold anger falling away to true enragement, “We’re _friends_? Have you forgotten the moments we spent together? Have you forgotten my feelings for you? The love we shared? Tell me the truth. Did you invite me just so you could shove your happiness in my face?”

Katara sputtered but thankfully Zuko’s own noises covered her up, “Shove my what? What are you even talking about? You’re the one who left _me_!”

“You were supposed to fight for me!” Mai hissed back, “You were supposed to act like you placed me above the job of Fire Lord like you kept telling me. You were supposed to at least give an effort to make me stop.”

“Mai, don’t you think we’ve been through enough to not have to play games? After the battles, after the betrayals, you still found it appropriate to test my loyalty?” Zuko tossed back at her, “What I said back then was a result of my immaturity. Without me, the Fire Nation would crumble into turmoil without a ruler at the throne!”

Mai didn’t say anything back, so Zuko continued, “You were the one who promised to be by my side despite the hardships. You were the one who backed out on that promise when you decided to test my love!”

“And you failed the test!” Mai finally cried back. “You lost me then, and now you’ll be losing me forever by marrying the Water Tribe girl. You’re losing love forever by being with her. She loves the Avatar. You will always be second to him. At least with me, you would be first!”

Katara swallowed, feeling indignant and embarrassed at the same time. She wanted to run between the two of them and declare her very non-romantic love for Aang and throw Mai from the Pole for daring to disrespect her and her… well, her future husband. And one of her closest friends and allies, she reminded herself.

Anger flushed in the pit of her stomach and she clenched her fists. This woman was trying to break apart the best attempt at peace between the Water and Fire Nations and destroy Katara’s reputation and relationships, for a man who she had scorned and thrown to the side years prior. Katara beat back the urge to freeze her into a block of ice and throw her into the ocean.

“What are you asking of me?” Zuko’s voice was quiet.

“Run away with me,” Mai breathed, “I have a boat on the docks. One of the fastest in the world. We can be out of Water Tribe waters before the sun rises.”

Silence settled between them as the meaning and weight of the words became apparent. Katara heard Zuko’s sharp intake of breath and she closed her eyes tight, waiting for the other shoe to fall.

“Mai,” Zuko’s voice was soft and his words carefully chosen, “Leave.”

Katara’s sharp exhale was covered by Mai exclamation of “What?”

“Leave,” Zuko repeated, “You are no longer welcome at the wedding.”

“You will choose her over me?” Mai gasped. “Why?” her voice broke at the last word, and Katara could practically hear the tears welling in her eyes.

“Isn’t the answer obvious?” Zuko replied, and she heard Mai turn and the sound of her footsteps as she ran away.

Katara’s heart beat loudly in her chest and her head felt light. Zuko sighed and she heard his footsteps as he walked away. She waited until she could no longer hear his footfalls, counted to one hundred, and peered out the side of the bridge.

The streets were empty. Suddenly bereft of her earlier urge to train, she walked quickly and quietly back to her room, latching the door with a soft click.

Mai left the North Pole on a boat the following morning – the only vessel leaving the port that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to follow me at angelaandmels.tumblr.com and send me prompts, comments, or even just pop in and say hello. I will be posting the occasional update on how writing is going during the week. :)
> 
> Constructive criticism is always welcome.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night before the wedding, Katara runs away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi folks! Sorry for the delay!  
> And yes, you may notice, this isn't the wedding! A week back someone gave me a kick in the butt on how I seemed to be ignoring some very big things from the show and I took some time to write a chapter that I hope makes the chapter more canon compliant.  
> My computer died last week and that's why this chapter is so late in posting. Sorry!

The evening meal before the wedding was held in the main dining room – just as the night when Katara offered herself as Zuko’s bride. The meal was earlier than normal because the festivities started at sunrise, and Katara found herself across the hall from her betrothed, swirling a bone spoon around in her bowl of broth.

The room was full of allies and companions from all over the world. The only notable exception being Toph who, Katara thought ruefully, even when she found someone to read the scroll that would certainly be delivered to her, would probably scoff at the invitation.

She brought the bowl to her mouth, taking a half-hearted mouthful and setting it back on the table. Dinner this evening was to be light to keep the stomach empty for the large feasts the next morning. Katara and the guests wouldn’t see a proper meal for another twenty-four hours.

Although her stomach was full of liquid it growled in anticipation. It might’ve also been the anxiety of the next morning. She rubbed her eyes and found a soft hand on her back, rubbing small tentative circles.

She looked over her shoulder in a jerk, and found the grey eyes of Suki looking back at her.

“Suki!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the woman’s neck. Suki laughed, embracing her in return. Katara pulled away a foot, a smile wide on her mouth. “I can’t believe you made it! We thought, maybe, that Kyoshi Island was too far away to get here in time!”

Suki’s smile rivaled her own before pulling Katara into another hug. “We took the fastest ship on the island. All of the warriors will be here to see you get married.”

At the reminder of the marriage, Katara’s breath hitched just a second. She thought the hug covered it up, but when she pulled away, she found Suki looking at her very carefully.

“Would you, maybe, want to talk outside?” Suki asked, a bit hesitant.

“Leave to talk? But you just got here!” Sokka practically grabbed the warrior into a swinging hug, his face lit up in happiness. Aang was on his heels, cheering at the arrival.

The hall seemed to quiet considerably, the reunion the only noise in the entire room, and Katara looked around. All of the Northern Water Tribespeople looked confused and vaguely offended. Her face turned red when she realized why.

Of course, the night before the wedding, men and women were sat at opposite ends of the dining room. A North Pole tradition.

“Get back to your side!” she hissed at her brother and friend, who completely ignored her in favor of bombarding Suki with questions. Sokka pulled back and kissed her _square_ on the _mouth_.

A couple people in the room began clearing their throats and coughing which seemed to pull Sokka out of his lover’s reverie long enough for Katara to wrestle the woman from his grasp and pull her to the door with a “Yes Suki! Please, let’s talk outside!”

The streets of the palace were empty, with everyone either inside eating the light dinner of broth and bread or making last-minute preparations in the temple or making offerings at the oasis. Suki walked silently next to her as she focused on the sound of her footfalls. Finally she turned to look at her companion.

Suki’s smile was unexpected, and the embrace was also surprising. But, perhaps most surprising of all, was the exclamation of, “I’m so happy for you!”

“Wh-what?” Katara said, confused. Her arms laid limply by her side not returning the hug and she looked straight over her friend’s shoulder. The silhouette of the bridge she’d hidden under stood in the distance.

“You’re getting married!” Suki said, and she held Katara by the shoulders as she pulled away from the hug. Her cheeks were flush from the cold and excitement. Katara’s paled in response. Her companion’s eyebrows furrowed, “Why do you look like you’re going to be sick?”

“Did no one tell you?” Katara managed to say, her mouth dry.

“Tell me what?” Suki’s smile slid slowly off of her face and her head tilted ever so slightly to the side.

“I… I…” Katara couldn’t find the words. Her breath froze in clouds in the air and she found herself momentarily distracted.

“Katara? What’s wrong?” Suki gave her a small shake on the shoulders and Katara snapped back to attention, blinking.

“It’s an arranged marriage, Suki. You know that, right?”

All happiness dropped off of the warrior’s face, before turning into a look of shock and horror. “You… I… I thought you two loved each other!”

Suki’s look of shock became mirrored on Katara’s as she took a step back, “In love? Why would you ever believe that?”

“I just found it more believable than the two of you being married for some sort of alliance!”

Katara covered her face with her hands, taking another step backwards. She didn’t get far before she felt Suki’s arms wrap around her shoulders.

Heavens, she was getting quite a few hugs tonight.

The hug lasted for a while and when Suki finally pulled away, Katara noticed some tears in her eyes. Her own eyes felt perfectly dry.

Suki looked around, as though a person might overhear their conversation. Then her voice whispered so softly Katara only barely heard it.

“What are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?” Katara whispered back for no reason and immediately felt ridiculous.

“Is someone keeping guard on you? I can sneak you to my ship. I have my fan on me,” Suki patted against her hip, which made a soft metal clank and Katara gawked at her.

“What are you talking about?” Katara shrieked and the volume made Suki duck and look around.

“I’m talking about this!” Suki hissed back, taking Katara by the wrists and pulling her back a few feet and into the shadows of the nearby building. She looked around until she felt sure no one had heard her and then lowered her voice again, “Who is making you do this? Zuko? No, it can’t have been him. The Chief? Is he playing you like a pawn in this political game? Because if he is then I swear to Kyoshi—“

“Suki!” Katara exclaimed, “No one is making me do this. I’m doing it of my own free will!”

Suki took pause at the words. Her righteous anger fading from her face and turning into confusion. “I don’t understand.”

Katara brought her hands up to her temples and massaged them, “Suki, I’m not being forced. It’s for the good of the two nations. I realize that. This was the lesser of two evils.”

“What was the other evil?” Suki asked, her eyebrows scrunched together.

“Zuko was offered… another woman. Well, not a woman. He was more or less offered a girl. One of Chief Arnook’s nieces or cousins or something, I don’t really remember.”

“Why didn’t Zuko just refuse?” Suki huffed, “He has plenty of eligible women in the Fire Nation. He’s the Fire Lord! If this is for political gain, he’d get more traction marrying an Earth Kingdom woman.”

The statement gave Katara pause and she opened and closed her mouth a few times trying to think of an answer.

“Katara! I’ve been looking all over for you! I couldn’t find you in the dining hall,” a soft, laughing voice said. Both girls whirled around to see a bearded, balding man’s grin coming towards them.

“Iroh!” Katara said in surprise, before a happy smile spread across her face, “I didn’t see you at the dinner! I thought you hadn’t made it to port.”

“Oh yes,” Iroh blushed as though he’d been caught with his hand in a treats jar, “I may have been in the kitchen seeing if there were any different teas in storage. You, my lady, seem to have been starved of the good stuff. Come, come, allow me to make you a pot!” His hand wrapped gently around her wrist but his pull was firm. He rambled on about tea as Katara scurried after him. Behind her, Suki’s confused face faded in the distance.

 

* * *

 

 

Iroh brought her to a small little cabin that was sparsely decorated. It must’ve been one of the many quickly-built and temporary lodgings for the surge of guests. Iroh talked cheerful nonsense and took a kettle filled with water and hung it over the flame of the fireplace. He gestured to the seat opposite of his own and Katara settled on it, her hands folded in her lap.

“Now, Katara, you’re very intelligent young woman. I believe that you realize that, despite how wonderful this tea I’m brewing is, that is not the only thing I brought you here for.”

Katara gave a numb nod. The small window of the cabin showed the light of the day almost completely disappearing beneath the ocean. The clouds darkened as they lost their color.

Iroh’s hands clasped on the table, bringing Katara’s attention back to the person in front of her.

“Your grandmother reached out to my son a few days ago. I apologize for the delay, because I did not receive his instructions until I arrived at the harbor, which was only this morning. I hope you’ll forgive me.” Iroh’s face was serious and somber, the laughing attitude of the street falling away to a man on a mission. “That being said, I was able to secure passage to the Earth Kingdom without Chief Arnook’s men suspecting a thing.” The last sentence was spoken with a proud smile. He pulled his hands away from the table and patted his belly, “We can set sail as soon as the sun sets and, of course, when we finish this delectable pot of jasmine tea.”

Katara’s mouth dropped open in shock, “Excuse me?”

“Oh yes, you young people,” Iroh shook his head and chuckled, “Always in such a rush. Believe me, we want the dead of night to sneak out. And some tea to calm the nerves!”

“Sneak out from where? I don’t understand. Iroh, you have to explain because I am not following this at all..!” A touch of panic rose in Katara’s chest. An inkling of understanding was enough to send her heart racing.

“Your grandmother,” Iroh said slowly. When her face didn’t light up in comprehension he slowly began to speak, “She said you were crying to your father over the impending marriage. She spoke to Zuko about finding you passage away from the Pole before the wedding.”

The world spun around her and she swallowed a heavy lump in her throat. She put a hand to her forehead and took a few breaths to calm herself.

It didn’t work. The kettle over the fireplace whistled and she jumped so hard she nearly overturned the table. Her teacup was jarred out of place and with a shaking hand she placed it back on the saucer.

“Zuko knows of this?” she spoke hoarsely and cleared her throat. Her lips seemed too dry so she wet them. Even then, her voice seemed to fail her, looking at the confused man in front of her.

“Oh, yes. If you’re worried about his wrath you needn’t worry. He completely understands, my dear. An arranged marriage is very stressful. Why, his own mother was terribly unhappy in her own arrangement to his father,” Iroh came around the table and clasped her hands in his own large ones.

“Zuko will not object to your absence tomorrow. He will not search for you in vengeance nor hurt your family. You know my son – he is a gentle person. An understanding and smart man.”

Katara nodded without really thinking. The whistling kettle eventually drew Iroh away from her. He took a thick cloth on his palm before taking the hot kettle from the flames and to the table. He poured the water into the teapot.

“I’m sure, of course, that Chief Arnook will have some complaints, but I’m sure your father, brother, grandmother, and Master Pakku will plead your case. And I will take the place of my nephew as ambassador, because,” Iroh chuckled, “Zuko is sure the Chief will try to force another young woman onto him for marriage when your absence is noted.”

Sitting in dumb silence she let the words sink in to her mind. The room had stopped spinning around her and she watched as Iroh poured the tea into her cup and some into his own. Her hands reached out without command, taking the warm clay cup into her hands. She took a sip.

She immediately felt better with the hot tea warming up her body and bringing her brain back into action. Her thoughts came back to her.

A way out; that was what Iroh was offering her. Gran Gran had secured her passage to the Earth Kingdom, away from an unhappy arranged marriage. Just like she had done all those years ago.

She could do it, she thought, taking another sip from the tea. Run away. Her blood buzzed with renewed energy from the sudden relief of the weight she hadn’t known she’d been carrying. All the stress seemed to fly from her mind, making her thoughts clear for the first time in weeks.

She would run away from the arranged marriage. Leave Zuko to rule the Fire Nation on his own. Or with some other wife. She would be free to travel with the Aang and Toph and all the others they picked up along the way and bring order to the battered world the war had left behind.

She was so grateful.

“Can I see him?” she blurted. At Iroh’s questioning cocked eyebrow, she rushed to clarify, “Zuko. Can I see him? Can I thank him?”

Iroh gave a studious glance towards the window. He seemed to ponder the light left in the sky before giving a small shrug, “I don’t see why not. None of Chief Arnook’s men would find it completely bizarre to see the two betrothed meeting the night before a wedding.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Katara? Why are you still here?” Zuko’s voice came from behind and startled her. She turned and felt a grateful smile spread on her face. He just looked at her, confused.

Iroh made a soft noise of farewell and stepped outside. She saw his shadow under the door, standing guard against any eavesdroppers.

“Zuko,” she breathed, and her smile refused to fall from her face. She walked up to him and embraced him tightly. His clothes smelled like he spilled a touch of fish broth on the leather and some sort of spice that was probably the result of some Fire Nation cologne. She would remember the scent forever.

“Thank you,” she said into his chest, and she felt him relax underneath her hug.

“No problem,” he said, returning her hug, albeit not nearly as tightly, “You should hurry, before anyone notices my uncle pacing in front of the door and raises suspicion.”

Katara pulled away from him and wiped a few silly tears from her eyes. He nervously avoided her eyes.

“What are you going to do when I don’t show up to the wedding?” she asked softly, curiosity getting the best of her.

“I’m half tempted to get on the boat and run away with you,” he paused and she saw a blush begin to reach his cheeks before he clarified with “or maybe just leave you here and take the boat away myself.” He reached behind his head to scratch his neck. “I’ll probably just go back to the Fire Nation and wait for more eligible matches to come to me, I guess.”

Her smile faltered, “What do you mean? You’re still going to have an arranged marriage?”

He gave a small nod, “Well, yeah. That’s what a leader of a former tyrannical country has to do. I’ll try to find someone that wants to marry me, though,” he said a pause. He then patted her shoulder and walked around her so she was the one facing the door. He gave a small push on her back.

“You should really leave. You want to be completely out of Water Tribe waters before people realize you’re missing. An entire boatful of water benders goes very fast.”

She looked over her shoulder at her friend and former-fiancé. She managed a small smile on her face, “I’ll see you, then?”

“Probably,” Zuko smiled back at her.

 

* * *

 

 

Katara and Iroh slunk down the streets, hoods pulled carefully over their heads. Their steps were quick but unhurried. Once past the quiet ice walls of the palace, the streets were filled with a few stragglers – mainly teenagers with their friends. They weren’t very interested in the two quiet figures heading towards the docks.

It was colder than the nights before, the skies full of clouds that would hide a tiny vessel leaving port from any guards not looking too closely at the water. And, hopefully, if spotted, the boat would be mistaken for a fisherman’s craft and let be until someone connected the dots early tomorrow morning.

For most of the journey, Katara was walking so fast she didn’t think of much else. Step left, step right, repeat. Her lungs burned and her heart pounded, not from exertion, but from excitement and uncertainty.

What sort of chaos would happen after she left? Her father and Sokka and Zuko would sort it out. She might have to avoid the North Pole for a few years, or at least Zuko married someone else and the debt and shame would be forgiven on a global level.

Zuko would never hold a grudge, she reiterated to herself. A small twinge of guilt called out from the recesses of her mind. Sure, he would have to marry someone else to secure the standing of the Fire Nation as an apologetic country, but he was _royalty_ and he’d been prepped for such a thing for probably his entire life.

Trying to justify it in her head made her feel even worse, so she focused instead on the burn of her thighs as she followed Iroh down alleys and underneath bridges, moving like phantoms along the icy pathways.

Her breath puffed in white clouds in front of her and she absentmindedly bent the water vapor into orbs, leaving behind a trail of spheres until she dropped her hands and they all evaporated into the night air. She tried to imagine her problems evaporating in the same way, but they laid in lead blocks inside her stomach.

The harbor loomed closer and closer, until they were stepping onto the frozen docks. She shrugged her shoulders up to her ears and kept her eyes aimed straight at Iroh’s ankles until he paused, looked around, and strolled up a gangplank into the tiny dinghy.

Once the door of the cabin was closed, she breathed a loud exhale of relief. He did the same.

“Oh my, I need a cup of tea after that. I’m getting a bit too old to be stowing run away brides!”

She chuckled at the statement while Iroh filled a kettle with warm water. The waves of the harbor rocked the boat in a rhythm that lulled her into a state of relaxation. The stress seemed to have melted away despite the frigid weather.

“Have you stolen other run away brides?” she teased, taking a seat at the table.

“Oh, dozens,” he responded, giving her a cheeky wink. She giggled.

“We will have to wait just a bit longer for the guard shift,” he said, looking out the small window to one of the towers, “If we wanted to push our luck, I’m sure we’d be fine leaving now. However, that would be quite the awkward conversation to have with Chief Arnook!”

She nodded, looking at her empty teacup, “That’s fine. You don’t have to rush, you’re doing so much for me already. I don’t know how I could thank you.”

“Believe me, Katara,” he said, placing a hand on her own, “my nephew and I are forever in you and your friend’s debt. You do not need to feel guilty for me playing my part in paying you back.”

She smiled and he leaned back, going back towards the kettle, “Now, Katara, where would you like to land? We have only a few days of supplies before I will have to drop you off and return to the North Pole.”

“How far do you think we can go?” she asked, “I’m used to riding on Appa. I have no idea how long it would take in a boat.”

Iroh shrugged, “With a water bender, a boat can go impressively fast. But compared to a flying bison!” he chuckled, “I have no idea.”

He opened a cabinet and ruffled around in some papers, before pulling out a large scroll.

“Here we go,” he said, setting the scroll on the table and unrolling it. It was a map, she noted, of the Northern Hemisphere. “I assume that with a water bender we may be going, oh, three times as fast?” he looked at her with a questioning look and she nodded, “I think we’d be able to go about this far.” He took a piece of charcoal and drew a light line on the map.

“What’s that?” she asked, pointing to a triangle on the map, just above the line he’d drawn, “Mountains?”

“Oh no,” he chuckled, “That would be Mount Makapu, a volcano.”

She pursed her lips. The name sounded familiar. Very familiar.

Iroh stroked his beard before making another belly chuckle, “They had a fortune teller there. Personally, I think she was quite taken by me. Offered me a _free_ reading. What was her name again? Oh, it was nearly a decade ago, now.”

“Aunt Wu,” Katara murmured, her finger trailing down the parchment.

“Yes, yes, that was it. I wonder if she’s still around. I do wonder what a fortune teller has in the sense of teas.”

Katara bit the inside of her cheeks.

_“I feel a great romance for you. The man you are going to marry. I can see that he’s a very powerful bender.”_

For years after the reading, she’d been self-assured that that powerful bender would be Aang. He was the most powerful bender in the world. And when they’d gone separate paths, she’d just assured herself that Aunt Wu had simply been a hack, as Sokka had insisted, and that she had just been a teenage girl carried away by the idea of romance.

She looked at her nails and picked out some of the dirt beneath them while Iroh talked in the background, blissfully unaware of her lack of attention.

Makapu Village hadn’t been destroyed by the volcano eight years back. It presumably hadn’t been destroyed since. Sokka had lived a fairly anguished, self-inflicted life. Just last season he’d fallen into the arctic waters trying to impress Suki, been rescued by a hippo whale and then nearly dying of hypothermia during the longboat sail back to dry land.

And Aang. He _had_ been involved in a great battle of good and evil. And the outcome had changed the world and the people living on it forever.

But her prediction - a powerful bender. That is what Wu had predicted, all those years ago. A powerful bender, but not _the_ most powerful bender. Surely, the _most powerful bender on the planet_ would’ve come across on her love line.

She opened her hand, tracing down the wrinkle. What would Zuko’s line say?

An arranged marriage, to a woman he didn’t know and perhaps would never love, but would move forward diplomatic attempts at stitching the world back together?

Or would it say that he was destined to marry the friend of his father’s enemy?

“I think we’re ready,” Iroh’s voice broke through her thoughts and she jumped at the noise. He seemed startled at her reaction, but focused back at the harbor, “I think I see the guard climbing out of the tower.”

She looked frantically back at her palm, trying to learn something from the flesh. But unless it grew a mouth and started talking, she wasn’t going to find any answers.

“Do you have a coin?” she asked, her voice breathless and frantic.

“Oh yes, of course,” Iroh ruffled around in his sleeve and pulled out a small purse. “Copper, silver, or bronze?”

“Either will do, but quickly.”

He tossed her a coin and she caught it in her shaking hand. This was stupid. This was a life decision. It shouldn’t be made with a coin toss.

But it shouldn’t be made for the purpose of politics either.

She tossed the coin in the air, feeling anxiety for both option.

If she married Zuko, she would live the majority of the rest of her life in the Fire Nation. She’d be working in stuffy politics in a stuffy climate and have the obligation of bearing the Fire Lord children. But it wouldn’t be all that bad, she reminded herself, watching the coin in the air. She was fond of Zuko. He understood her, even the parts that Aang hadn’t – like getting closure for the murder of her mother.

He made her laugh. And he was a good man. Even if she couldn’t very well see herself marrying him, she could see herself wonderfully happy at his side.

She could sleep in a bed and still continue rebuilding the world. Perhaps with more authority and power than had been given to her for just being the Avatar’s “friend.”

And if she didn’t marry Zuko, she would continue living her life the way she’d been doing for the past eight or nine years. Travelling from village to village, laughing at her best friend’s antics as he entertained village children by air-scootering himself into a brick wall that was occasionally made by and for Toph’s own amusement.

Riding through the wind on top of Appa with her hair in the wind and the earth thousands of feet beneath her.

And eventually, Aang would fall in love and marry someone else and have children, the unspoken obligation of the last airbender. He would pass along the ways of the Air Nomads and the culture would live on while she lived on the sidelines.

Of course, maybe at some point she would find another equally powerful bender and leave the Avatar mission for a few years to cultivate her own family. Would she then leave them behind when she resumed her travels, her mission? Would she pack her future husband and a few children on Appa’s aging back and bring them with her to sleep in the forests while chasing bandits and bad guys?

All her thoughts came to a close when the soft pat of the coin landing on the parchment ended them like a period of a sentence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism is always welcome, comments in general make me sooo happy!
> 
> Follow me on angelaandmels.tumblr.com for general updates on my writing or if something goes wrong (like my computer not working and me needing to buy a new one). 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey! Here I am! Nearly a year later.
> 
> I've decided that this fic needs to be finished, so I'm going to concentrate my efforts onto it for the next few months here. Any drabbles you see on my tumblr are just that - they're drabbles. Nothing serious, just little plot bunnies. But the fic I'll be agonizing over will be this one. So be prepared for more regular updates!

Someone rapped loudly on the door.

“Fire Lord, it’s time to wake up,” a voice said, lifting Zuko out of his restless, dreamless sleep and into reality. He cracked one eye open, a small line of sunlight just barely peeping over the horizon and illuminating the room in just the tiniest way.

How the hell could these Water Tribespeople even tell it was morning?

“What’s going on?” he asked tentatively. Surely, Katara and Iroh would have been noticed missing by now. That had to have been the reason why the guard was waking him up.  He braced himself for the answer, “Is something wrong?”

“No, sir,” the guard said, slightly confused from behind the door, “I was told to wake you up. Breakfast is early.”

When Zuko didn’t reply, he followed up with, “For the wedding.”

Zuko pursed his lips. That wasn’t the reply he’d anticipated.

So he dressed. And with every step he heard outside the room, he expected someone to come bursting through the doors with the “terrible” news that his bride-to-be was missing. And his heart might have literally stopped beating when the guards changed shift, but still, no announcement to be made.

And he may have held his breath when someone ran by, panicking about something, but the person didn’t stop, and no chaos followed their path.

But still, nothing happened.

The anticipation was killing him. All these past few days he’d been agonizing over the fallout that would occur. It wouldn’t take long for people to see that Iroh was mysteriously gone, however sparse he’d been trying to make his presence (the cooks in the kitchen would certainly notice the stranger who’d been rummaging around in their cupboards was gone), and the pieces would all fit together like one of those Earth Kingdom puzzles and suddenly all eyes would be on him.

His loyalty would be questioned, his motives, someone would probably even spread a rumor that he’d had Katara kidnapped or _killed_ and that the Fire Nation was declaring war and he’d be put in jail until the waterbender could make herself known and clear the air.

He’d probably had too much time to think.

But, as he tied up his hair in a simple knot for the breakfast and the sun rose higher, millimeter by millimeter, still no announcement had arrived. And so, Zuko found himself in a situation that even through all of his neurotic thinking he hadn’t imagined himself in.

Actually going to breakfast.

He opened the door slowly and looked at his guard, who gave him an awkward smile and a thumbs-up, which struck Zuko as mildly inappropriate (although he mirrored the gesture.) And the two of them were walking down the icy halls.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Uhh, not really, I guess,” Zuko managed to say. What sort of question was that? Didn’t this guy realize that all the countries of the world would soon be hailing down upon him in just a few minutes? Didn’t he realize what was going on? He’d be lucky if war didn’t break out. He’d be lucky to ever be allowed entry into the North Pole again. Oh Ozai, what kind of plan was this? It would’ve been less painless to suit himself up in metal armor and _jump into the ocean_ than it was going to be to “How about you?”

“Oh I slept fine. Little cold. But I’m not the one getting married today.”

Zuko tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a choked garble. He rubbed his hands together, his fingers stiff from anxiety. Or maybe it was just the cold. Zuko was fairly sure he could see little puffs of breath hanging in the air.

Breakfast was small, more as a way to tide them over until after the ceremony, where the amount of food would be “ginormous,” as Sokka insisted (several times.) There was quiet chatter in the room, the ambassadors and nobles and the businesspeople and a few regular citizens who’d braved the trek, speaking politely to the important people of the Water Tribe. Occasionally a bit of raucous laughter would fill the room, something inevitable in a room full of men no matter what their nationality.

It was a far cry from the strained silence Zuko had been expecting, where there would be quick, awkward glances to one another before someone managed to break the news that Katara was missing.

But that didn’t happen. What did happen, however, was Zuko’s eyes landed on his uncle. His uncle who, instead of being detained or _arrested_ , was cheerfully chattering away about this tea and that tea and giving dainty cups to everyone who surrounded him.

“Zuko! My nephew! How wonderful to be here for your big day!” Iroh stood up and walked briskly over to Zuko, embracing him tightly. Iroh let out a belly laugh when they separated, patting his arm, “My boat just barely got here in time!”

“That’s wonderful, uncle. I’m so glad you made it,” Zuko’s voice was a bit flat, his smile unsure on his face. What was going on?

“Come, Zuko, sit down and have some tea. You’ll need to fill up on this delicious ginger I found in the hills of a small village in the Earth Kingdom. It has been carefully cultivated by an old hermit and it is divine,” Iroh ushered Zuko into the seat of honor and gave him a warm cup. A small plate of what looked like salted fish and a bit of pickled fruit was in front of him.

Zuko looked up, his hand outstretched to grab Iroh’s sleeve and pull him back to ask him some very serious questions, but the old man was surprisingly quick and bounded out of his reach, immediately entering conversation with someone else.

So Zuko was left to take in the room and try to make sense of everything that way.

There were many familiar faces from the Fire Nation, several he recognized from the Earth Nation during his negotiations over the colonies and other post-war efforts, and then the important people of the Water Tribe he’d been finding himself knowing more and more as his wedding drew closer.

His stomach lurched at the thought of the wedding and he took two quick gulps of the scalding hot tea to calm it down.

The chatter in the room had only dimmed slightly when he’d entered and now was back to normal. All in all there were well over fifty people, just the men, picking at their tiny fish and downing cups of tea.

Aang, Sokka, and Hakoda were seated next to one another, and Zuko had just barely managed to make eye contact with Hakoda and preparing himself to have a conversation with the man to learn some answers, but he’d just barely shook his head before someone pulled Zuko off into a different conversation.

By the time he’d cleaned his plate and his fourth cup of tea, he’d talked to dozens of people about the same thing; what married life would be like, how he planned on ruling the Fire Nation, what would he name his children, shipping routes for iron ore, how Katara was a wonderful woman, the new silks being produced in the lowlands of the Earth Kingdom. No one mentioned anything out of the ordinary, no one answered in an odd way to any of his questions, and time wore on until the sun had completely risen above the horizon, and then some. Still, he had no answers.

That was, until finally, a gong shattered, making Zuko practically leap out of his skin, and Chief Arnook stood up.

“It is time for the ceremony to begin!” he said, and a few cheers rang up from the men. Zuko looked around, caught in a second of panic, until he met his uncle’s eyes.

Iroh simply nodded at him.

\--

The room for the grand ceremony was huge. Zuko didn’t know ice could be so high without crumbling. Music was playing, somewhere, but Zuko couldn’t hear any of it over the buzz of people around him, their voices echoing off of every frozen surface. Blood pumped past his eardrums, making an anxious woosh with every beat of his heart.

He’d been able to wear his royal garb, as tradition in the Fire Nation for a groom to wear, but the fabric was too silky and thin, made for the beating, sweltering sun and definitely not for the top of the world. Iroh, as Zuko’s closest relative, had put a heavy fur robe on top of his shoulders. Zuko appreciated the weight, because he felt ready to jump out of his skin the further and further they walked.

“You guys go on ahead,” Iroh called cheerfully, “I want to have a few more moments with my boy.”

Everyone else shuffled into the huge room, the doors closing behind them. The two men stood in the empty hallway, all noises muted behind the heavy doors.

“What’s going on?” Zuko hissed as soon as the doors closed. “Why are you still here?”

“You didn’t think I would miss my only nephew’s wedding, did you?”

“Uncle..!” Zuko’s voice rose in pitch, his eyes darting back and forth. “Did you get found out? Were you captured and returned? Is there someone else in there?”

“No, Zuko. Calm down,” Iroh said, his heavy hands on his nephew’s shoulders, “We weren’t found out. There isn’t a surprise bride.”

“Then why-”

“Katara decided to come back,” Iroh interrupted, “She decided to go through with the wedding.”

Zuko’s eyes widened, and for a moment, his voice choked in his throat. “Why?” he whispered.

“I have a few theories myself,” Iroh said, stroking his beard and looking wonderingly over Zuko’s shoulder, “But you should probably as her yourself. Unless you would like to take the turn of running away.”

This time Zuko couldn’t manage anything other than breathing. He looked over at the door and then back at his uncle.

“Are you ready to go, Fire Lord Zuko?”

He nodded.

\--

The room quieted down when he and Iroh entered, the people from the Fire Nation bowing down in respect to their leader. Iroh ducked away, finding his seat among the crowd, and it was a long walk up the aisle alone, to where the ceremony would take place.

He knew how this worked. He and Katara had been through dozens of rehearsals. The women entered first and sat in their specific order which he didn’t bother to memorize, and Katara would be waiting. Then the men would enter and do the same, with Chief Arnook taking his place to join them. It had been run his head so many times he could probably do this in his sleep. Which was a good thing, because with all the questions and insecurity filling his brain, he could barely remember how to walk.

But he did walk, his slippered feet along the long trek of smooth stone, to where Chief Arnook stood, holding the hand of a figure in a long, white, polar beardog coat.

Her hair was pulled up into an intricate braid that had been knotted back onto itself and he knew she probably hated it, but he probably would’ve admired it for its creativity if she hadn’t turned at just enough of an angle to make eye contact. And her eyes, blue and determined, were so striking he stopped breathing.

She didn’t smile at him, she just wet her lips and gave a small nod, and at that moment Zuko felt his legs solidly underneath him for what felt like the first time since he’d woken up that morning. Maybe for the first time since he said goodbye the night before she left.

Before she was supposed to leave.

But here she was, now standing across from him, looking like a woman who was about to lead a charge into war.

But not against him, no. She was going to fight _with_ him.

And then the ceremony began.

\--

Katara didn’t listen to Chief Arnook’s words as he read poem and prayers and thanks to the Moon; she’d heard it all before. She didn’t even think. Her mind was nothing but a blank slate, taking in the world around her. Chief Arnook’s gloved hand holding her bare one, with his other holding Zuko’s. And then he brought them together, and Katara’s eyes focused to the amber ones looking back at her.

Zuko’s hand was cold as they clasped, and the chief tied them together with a thin piece of leather, before holding their hands up in the air and declaring their marriage.

And then, Katara gained the bravery to look out into the eyes of the people watching her. Her Gran-Gran crying softly into a handkerchief, her father’s eyes glistening with unshed tears, Sokka looking at her like she’d grown two heads, and Aang, whooping in happiness.

The entire room filled with applause and cheers and people were beginning to stand to come and greet them. She looked to her side and found Zuko looking back at her.

She couldn’t help it. She smiled.

\--

If there was one thing the Northern Water Tribe knew how to do, it was party. The ceremony room was filled with workers hurriedly setting up tables, moving chairs out of the way, and before Katara could even blink, music filled the area and she was settled next to her husband and a plate of roasted seal.

When she’d been sitting in a room of women that morning, picking at her breakfast, Katara had been sure that there was no way she’d be able to get an appetite.

She was wrong.

She heard someone’s stomach growl and turned to see a sheepish Zuko shrugging at her, before the entire room was filled with Sokka stuffing his face.

Inbetween forkfuls she smiled at well-wishers and made pleasantries. Zuko was doing the same next to her, the two of them turning gracefully into the ambassadors they had all become after the end of the war. It was seamless.

And, Katara noted, peaking at her husband out of the corner of her eye, effortless. Maybe this would be easier than she’d been anticipating. Everything did seem much easier now that the ceremony was over and the jitters were gone.

The sun indicated it was an hour or so past noon when the tables were moved to the side and the dancing began. The Southern Water Tribe wasn’t known for big dances like this, more just traditional, story-telling ceremonies around a bonfire. But Katara watched, amazed, as people from all four corners of the globe held each other’s hands and swirled back and forth in harmony.

“Come on, Katara, let’s dance!” Aang said, jumping forward to her table and pulling her by her hands out of her seat. And she laughed, swirling around, being handed off from person to person as one dance melted into the next.

The sun continued to sink down as the festivities wore on. Katara found herself rotating in different social circles, accepting and exchanging pleasantries and well-wishes and dances, making promises to visit people in the near future, and even finding herself invited to dinners by the few Fire Nation citizens who managed to brace the cold, bundled up in fluffy coats and dozens of scarves. And then she found herself back at her table while another round of food was being passed over, and looked at Zuko, who was also extracting himself from a group of well-wishers.

“How’re you doing?” she murmured, waiting for him to make eye contact with her, “I know you weren’t really expecting… this. Me.”

“If I’ve learned anything about you over our years of friendship, Katara,” Zuko replied, his voice just loud enough to reach her ears but not be overheard, “It’s that you never follow my expectations.”

Although it wasn’t a compliment in the strictest sense, she still felt a warmth in her chest and bit her lower lip to avoid a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the wedding night. Follow me on angelaandmels.tumblr.com for updates, feel free to send prompts or ideas my way. Please review! And thank you for continuing to follow this story.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took so long to write. Oh, and the chapter is NSFW.

After dinner the moon rose and slowly started its descent as the celebrations wore on. Katara was flung from conversation to conversation, dance to dance, and in between shoving hors d’oeuvres into her mouth and grumbling stomach and making obscure plans months into the future with people she wasn’t sure if she’d ever met before, she was able to make eye-contact with Zuko as he did the same. She made the conscious effort to move towards him, to the chagrin of several men, taking the lead in a few dances to swirl until she finally caught his arm and pulled him to dance with her.

“How’re you holding up?” she asked, eyeing his pale face and his slightly blue lips. He’d finally procured a pair of gloves but had started shaking, the hours of chilly night air catching up to him. Most of the Fire Nation guests (and a large portion of the Earth Kingdom as well) had already left, fleeing to their rooms to huddle next to a fire under some fluffy pelts. Only one fire was still going in the large, icy room after Chief Arnook had exclaimed that it was getting _too warm_ because of all the activity.

Zuko had nearly re-lit the fires himself, watching in blatant anguish as they were extinguished. It had been an internal battle for the past hour on whether he should do some sort of fire bending to bring his body temperature up to survivable levels.

“It’s f-f-fine,” he chattered before shuddering, trying to get jaw under control. “It’s fine,” he repeated, his voice steadier.

“I think everything’s mostly over,” Katara said, her pacing quicker in an attempt to speed up his sluggish movements. He reluctantly followed her lead, trying to ease his joints into something resembling grace so he didn’t seem like a block of ice next to her easy movements.

She eased his arm up to do a twirl underneath it and he was hit by the perfume intoxicating her hair. She hadn’t liked it, had complained about it in abundance for the past few weeks, but he had to admit it smelled nice. She would certainly be washing it out as soon as the night was over and they were in their room.

And while the thought of going to their room for their wedding night had been bringing up tons of uncomfortable thoughts for most of the day, he was so cold he could hardly even think of anything except sinking into a tub of steaming hot water and going to sleep. How long had they been awake? Twenty-four hours? With the nerve-wracking morning and the evening shiver-activities, he was starting to wear out.

“Let me talk to Chief Arnook,” Katara said, bringing his thoughts to something other than the loss of feeling in his fingertips. She spun around, throwing another wave of fragrance from her person and moved easily through the thinning crowd to the patriarch of the Tribe.

She spoke to him for half a minute before the large man looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with Zuko, then looked back down at Katara and nodded, gave her a smile, and suddenly swept her in an embrace. From her body language he could tell the hug was unexpected and unwanted, and would’ve sprung into action to help if she hadn’t immediately released herself with a polite but firm step backwards that took the chief by surprise. She turned and went back to Zuko.

“We can leave,” she said. She was smiling, but something about the smile seemed off, “Go ask Sokka to take you to the room.”

“Sokka?” Zuko questioned, his eyebrows pulling together, “Why am I going with him?”

Katara shrugged, “Southern Water Tribe tradition. And he might’ve insisted on it.”

“He’s not going to beat me with his boomerang, is he?” Zuko asked, only half joking. He felt his stomach sink a bit when Katara didn’t laugh it off, instead only giving him a smile, shrug, and beckoning her brother with her hand.

“I’ll see you in a bit,” Katara said, a bit too loudly. She pressed her lips together and nodded at Sokka, who had approached them. He nodded back at her. Zuko discreetly looked at Sokka to see if he had his new boomerang on his person.

He did. Of course he did.

Sokka led him down a series of hallways, the festivities fading in the distance. During the entire walk, Zuko tried to think of something to say, but between the questions whizzing in his head, the fact that his jaw was practically vibrating his teeth together, and the exhaustion from hours of schmoozing, dancing, and pretending he wasn’t freaking out, well…

Well by the time Sokka had pulled him into a room that had a gloriously warm fire in it, he realized they hadn’t said anything at all.

Sokka opened his mouth, the stern look that he’d been wearing the entire walk over instantly melting at the state of his brother-in-law.

“Oh wow, Zuko, are you honestly that cold?”

“Yes!” Zuko could practically scream, flinging himself closer to the fire, eventually taking his gloves off with his teeth because his hands simply _weren’t working_. But once he’d warmed them a touch in the heat of the fire and run himself through a few stances, the warmth began to cycle through his veins.

It would be easier if it weren’t for Sokka’s laughter.

“Wow,” Sokka said, wiping a tear from his cheek, “And here I was thinking it was way too warm in here,” he said, taking off his coat and leaning against the wall, his arms bare. Sokka hadn’t been anywhere but the South Pole for the past several months, instead learning under Hakoda the ins and outs of stitching together the ruins of a nation, leaving Katara, Aang, and Toph to travel by themselves. He’d apparently readjusted to the cold fairly well. Or maybe he really was half buffalo yak.

“Why did you want to talk to me, Sokka?” Zuko asked.

“Oh, just regular, big-brother stuff. Give me a second,” Sokka said, covering his smile with his hands and taking a few deep breaths, before exhaling and bringing his hands down, a stoic look behind them.

Zuko was struck at how much he resembled Hakoda.

“Now,” Sokka said, steady, “I know this wasn’t forced on Katara, I know she married you because of some sense of duty, I know she could’ve left but she decided not to, I know all of it.” He paused and swallowed, letting out a long exhale, “And I always kind of thought she would end up with Aang. But all of that aside, the two of you have my blessing.”

It was only through years of being in court as a royal that kept Zuko from quirking up an eyebrow and saying something sarcastic like, _“Blessing? I already married her.”_ But after the urge passed, Zuko felt the familial love behind the statement.

“And if you hurt her, I will kill you,” Sokka said, standing tall and dark above Zuko. The threat would’ve carried more weight if Zuko hadn’t seen him make a fool of himself several times. The man was a koalaotter at heart.

But either way, Zuko understood the intent. “I understand” he said, “I wouldn’t be as proud as I am to call you ‘brother’ if it was any other way.”

Sokka tried valiantly to stay tough-looking, but his lower lip quivered for just a second before Zuko was crushed in a hug.

“Welcome to the family,” Sokka wailed into his ear. Zuko chuckled as he returned the embrace.

* * *

 

“You don’t have to do this tonight, you know,” Suki said, pulling the plaits and pins from Katara’s hair and placing them on a wooden table next to them, before running a boar bristle brush through the strands and handing Katara a damp towel. Katara took it, rubbing her hair furiously, trying to get at least some of the oil and powder out.

She would wash her hair tomorrow at first light, but she needed some of it out _now_.

“I know I don’t. I could probably live the rest of my life without Zuko asking me to go through with it,” she said from under the towel. The _it_ of the situation being the consummation of her marriage. Her words rose in pitch and threatened to break, so she cleared her throat.

“Why not just do that, then?” Suki asked, taking the oily towel with a wrinkled nose when Katara handed it back to her, “I just don’t understand why you’re so adamant on doing it tonight. You can wait, get to know him a little better, you know.”

Katara’s blue eyes met Suki’s in the mirror, “Suki, I’ve known him for years, over a decade now. I don’t think there is a single thing about him I _don’t_ know.”

Suki sighed, “Have you ever been with a guy before? Like, with Aang?”

Katara thought back to her relationship with Aang. Nothing more than kissing had ever happened in the beginning, just because they were so young. And for months they were sometimes apart, Aang helping to revive the culture of the Air Benders, Katara helping her father in the South Pole… Half of their relationship had been spent on being on opposite sides of the globe from each other, and when they were together…

It was friendship. A deep, wonderful friendship that bled into her veins and deep into her heart. But nothing like the occasional thrill she got when she saw an attractive person in the streets and even sometimes around the man who would be her husband, who _is_ her husband. So their dying relationship had been chaste. And the years afterward had been filled with so much moving and work, they’d been a blur.

“No. I haven’t been with anyone,” Katara murmured, looking at her hands on her lap, before looking at her face in the mirror, freshly cleaned. Her hands rose and she began to braid her hair, just like she did every night.

Her life had been a blur since the second she’d stolen Sokka’s club and had hit the frozen ball in the sea and a twelve year old boy had fallen out. But, she realized, tying the end of her braid with a piece of leather, her life would be slowing down now. The life of a married woman. The Fire Lady, leading the defeated Fire Nation back into a world of peace and balance.

Her heart constricted in her chest, thinking of the brave new world she’d be finding herself in. One that was always hot and warm, filled with different food and people, filled with people who would hate her for everything she’d fought her entire life for, people who would love her for all the wrong reasons, and children.

The muscles in her stomach clenched and relaxed at the thought. Her children, the physical proof that the Fire and Water nations could live in harmony, and therefore the entirety of the world should follow suit. Would they be fire or water benders? Would they be benders at all? Would they look like her, with blue eyes and dark skin? Or would they look like their father, the very image of a dancing flame born in flesh?

“What’s it like?” she asked, softly.

Suki opened her mouth a few times, wetting her lips, “What’s what like?”

Katara couldn’t help a nervous smile from appearing on her lips. She felt like a child, “What is it going to be like? What’s my wedding night going to be like?” She turned away from the mirror to look at Suki directly, who was trying determinately to hide a blush forming on her cheeks.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she stammered, “How would I know?”

“Come on, Suki,” Katara said, grabbing her friend’s hands, pleased to have the attention off of her, “I know you’re slipping off to Sokka’s igloo. Gran-Gran is gossiping that she might have a great-grandchild before Sokka finishes his betrothal necklace.”

Suki gasped softly, “He’s carving me a…-?” but she broke off, her eyes getting a far-off look to them.

Katara snapped her fingers, bringing Suki back to their conversation, “So, as my future big sister, you have to give me guidance.”

Suki pressed her lips together before sighing, “Alright, alright. What do you want to know?”

“What is it like?” Katara said, the question being the biggest thing on her mind since the engagement. You know, behind all the important stuff.

“The first time? It’s…” Suki wrinkled her nose, looking for words, “It’s um, well it’s different. The second time is better.”

The second time. Right. She would be doing this a few times. Well, probably more than a few times.

“But the second time,” Suki said, nodding, “Once you do it the second time, you’ll realize what all the fuss is about.” A soft blush formed on her cheeks and she broke into a smile, “He’s really planning on proposing?”

And the two of them laughed and began talking about that, instead.

* * *

 

Sokka had left Zuko with a heavy hand on his shoulder and an awkward look as he opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and repeated that several times before just giving him a shrug and leaving him behind. Zuko wasn’t alone for long, the door opening a few minutes later while he was sitting on the bed, Katara peaking in.

“Come on, our room is just down the hallway,” she said softly, but still the voice jolted him out of his half-asleep awareness and straight into the present. He nodded, soaking up as much warmth as he could before heading out into the cold, quiet hallway.

“Sokka didn’t hurt you, did he?” Katara asked. Her tone was teasing but her eyes held noticeable concern.

“I don’t know,” Zuko said back, his voice grave, “My back cracked in some disconcerting ways when he hugged me.”

Her loud was bright and it echoed on the walls and ceiling around them. She stopped short at a door, pulling it open and walking inside, looking over her shoulder when he didn’t immediately follow.

“We don’t… I don’t…” he stuttered, looking for the words. He’d planned an entire speech in his head during the reception that had evaporated at some point during the short walk.

“I know,” she said, fighting the blush that was creeping up her neck and keeping her lips from twitching up into an awkward, nervous smile, “But come in.”

The room was nice, well-lit and thankfully warm. Katara immediately took off her biggest cloak, throwing it over a chair and sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at him.

Was he supposed to… do something?

The two of them looked at each other for an uncomfortably long time in quiet, before Katara cleared her throat and shifted, unable to fight the urge to pull her braid over her shoulder and play with the end.

“So, we’re married,” she said, suddenly and a bit too loud, making Zuko twitch in surprise. He hurriedly sat next to her, dropping down enough for her to bounce.

“Yep. We’re married,” Zuko parroted back to her.

“And… This is our wedding night,” Katara said.

“Yep.”

Katara gulped, “Zuko, I have to be honest, I-..”

But he cut her off, “I told you, Katara, we don’t have to do this. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. We never do.”

There was another long silence before Katara popped her lips, “As I was saying… I’ve never done this before.”

She saw him in her peripheral vision look at her, so she made eye contact. His face was smooth, the same face she was sure she was making at him. The cool, calculated poker face they’d been making during sensitive situations since they were teenagers.

“What do you want to happen, tonight?” he asked her, his voice soft like he was talking to a frightened squirrel toad. Or maybe _he_ was the frightened squirrel toad.

It was too direct a question. She wet her lips, “I never slept with Aang,” she said instead, and she saw a spark of surprise in Zuko’s eyes, “I have no idea what I should be doing.”

He broke eye contact, instead looking at the wall on the other side of the room. He scratched the side of his head, “I never really… I don’t know, either.”

They sat there like that for half a minute while she tried to get the courage to say something more direct, when he suddenly stood up.

“I think I’m going to go back to my-” he started to say until she stood up as well.

“I just want to get it over with,” she interjected and immediately regretted it at the insulted face he made at her. She tried to take a second to think through her next words but they all spilled out from her lips, “No, not like that, Zuko – I just want all the pressure to be done and over with. I want to get this first time done.”

He looked like he was trying to think of something to say, a chivalrous rebuttal, but she didn’t want to hear it. Bravery and impulse flooded her veins and she grabbed his face, bringing his lips against hers for the first time.

It wasn’t the best kiss in the world. Definitely not the best kiss she’d ever had, at least at first. Their lips were in the wrong place and then it was too wet and they were off rhythm, but it slowly changed. Their lips matched pace and seemed to melt together. His hands went from stick-straight at his sides to holding her hips, her grip on his face loosened and her arms wrapped around his neck.

There it was. She could feel it, starting at the base of her skull, a warmth and a thrill that she hadn’t felt in years. It spread along her chest, now firmly pressed against Zuko’s, down into the base of her feet, gathering the strongest between her legs.

His tongue swiped along her bottom lip and she responded in kind, deepening the kiss. And that was how they were for a long time before they finally separated, her hands deep in his hair, his fingers digging into her sides.

“You’re sure?” Zuko asked, his voice husky and it made her heart skip a beat. She couldn’t even answer, just pulling him into another kiss, vaguely aware that they’d turned and the backs of his legs were touching the edge of the bed.

His hands tightened on her hips and he tipped backward, taking her with him. She landed a bit awkwardly and scrambled to meet his lips again, the two of them shimmying up on the bed until his head rested on a pillow and she was straddling his hips.

It was harder to think clearly when she pulled away to catch her breath, looking at his half-lidded amber eyes, dimly lit from the fireplace. His hands, still holding her hips, pushed her down and he ground his hips upward. Her fingers dug into the sleeves of his arms and her back arched at the friction and pressure.

Oh wow, she was actually doing this.

Zuko sat up, keeping her in his lap and his lips were on her neck. Shivers and goosebumps rolled down her back when he dragged his teeth over the sensitive flesh. His hands wandered up from her hips, to her waist, up to the collar of her dress and he tugged at it, something she registered as a hint that maybe she should help.

What _was_ she supposed to be doing with her hands? Right now they were static just below his shoulders and she could probably keep them there the whole night. Certainly she was supposed to be using them for something.

Zuko gave another tug on her collar and she had to consciously make the effort to lift her hands and brought them to the closures on her gown, opening it up to show the thin chemise underneath. Zuko’s hands dipped under the heavy fabric, spreading it further apart and bringing it over her shoulders and down her arms.

She shuddered when the side of his palm brushed against one of her unbound breasts, deciding to take the effort to lift the shift, tugging it out from under her and over her head, leaving herself naked from the waist-up.

He began to undo his own garments, as though her act of bravado was a sort of prompt for him to do the same, and then he was also shirtless. His arms wrapped underneath hers, his hot hands on her bare back, and he pushed her in towards him for a kiss, pressing their chests together.

The feeling of skin-on-skin in a romantic way was something far from anything she’d ever experienced before. Her heart pounded in her chest and she arched her back, trying to press every square inch of skin against him. Her body knew what it wanted, and even though a loud minority in her head was freaking out, her hands explored his body, feeling the lines of his muscles until they were stopped by the bunching of cloth at the base of his back.

Zuko broke the kiss, shifting her off of his lap to undo the rest of his robes, kicking them off the bed while she did the same. The break in activity let her brain catch up while her body cooled off.

Her hands were shaking. Was it getting too cold in here? Was she still this nervous?

“Are you alright?” Zuko asked, having noticed her hesitation. She looked up to see him searching her face.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said, kicking her bundle of clothes off the side of the bed to plop on the floor. She started to toe off one of her socks.

“Katara, if you want to stop, you just have to say so,” his voice demanded attention, and she was forced to look back in his eyes even though she wanted to look anywhere else. She felt the blush on her face.

“I’m just nervous.”

Zuko looked reserved at her reply.

“I’m just…” she sighed, “Please, Zuko, I want this. I want this to happen.” She took a deep breath, “You have to take me at my word.”

For a second he looked like he might up and leave, but instead, he broke eye contact. His eyes traveling over her body upped her nervousness, but it also made her ache in a way. His face was an open book, every twitch and blink like words on a page on how much her naked body was affecting him.

And she looked at him. She’d seen his body practically naked several times. He’d been injured on peace-making visits all over the world, with her being the de facto healer for paper cuts and life threatening injuries.

There were the burn marks from botched sparring matches in his youth and the fights of their adolescence. Long lines of scar tissue from attacks with swords. She knew on his back there’d be a thin, white line on his back from when he’d been shot with an arrow deep in the forests of the Earth Kingdom in an assassination attempt by a half-crazed hermit.

So she’d stripped him of his clothes often enough. This was different. Looking at him, at the planes of muscle along his stomach and arms, in the flickering light of a dying fire, completely bare in front of him in a way she hadn’t been in front of any man.

She wet her lips, looking for something to say when she looked back at his face. He didn’t move towards her.

So she moved towards him.

The kiss went right into the frenzy and passion that had been there before, her body pressed into the mattress until he was halfway over her. He palmed her breast, his thumb brushing over her nipple before tweaking it. She broke away from the kiss to make a soft gasp and he diverted his mouth to her neck.

The pressure between her legs was torture. Squeezing her thighs together alleviated it slightly, spreading her legs apart didn’t help at all.

She closed her eyes tightly. Her body was completely consumed with lust and she didn’t know whether to let it continue down that path or pull herself together into some sort of decency.

Continuing down the past of desire was the hastily made decision and she took the hand that was driving her crazy at her breast and pulled it lower, letting it slide across her flat stomach and down between her legs. She needed him to touch her.

Just having some counter-pressure there helped with the aching, but Zuko heard the unspoken command loud and clear. She spread her legs further and he pressed his thumb against her clit. Her hips rose up from the bed towards the source of pleasure and Zuko shifted, moving further on top of her.

He slid a finger inside of her, a strange but not unwelcome sensation. She bit his lower lip, baiting him into another deep kiss, trying to get use to the feeling of his finger inside.

Another finger joined the one inside. There was a bit of discomfort and tightness, dissuaded by the pressure of his thumb.

She was wet. She was so wet. She wanted this to happen. She _needed_ this to happen.

“Please,” she gasped against his lips.

He pulled away just enough, “Please, what?”

“Please,” was the only thing she could say, her mouth failing her to do anything but plead and kiss him. She shimmied further under him, her arm underneath him pushing him over and on top of her.

He moved, his narrow hips between her legs. His cock was hot and hard against her inner thigh and she couldn’t believe the primal urge that overwhelmed her. She lifted her hips vaguely in that direction.

“You’re sure?” he asked, for what felt like the hundredth time. His hand had guided him to her entrance and just the feel of it made her want to roll her eyes back in her head.

“Yes,” she breathed.

He pushed inside of her and fuzzed out for a second. Part of his brain was conscious of the discomfort, but not pain, suddenly reflected in the woman underneath him. He kept careful note of her facial expressions and the tension in her body.

Another part was flooded with nervousness and anxiety, trapping his breath at the base of his throat. Was this it? Was this all there was to it? He just had to move, right?

And the other part was just lost in the experience. His heart rate immediately went through the roof, his skin felt incredibly warm despite being naked in a room full of ice, it was slightly more difficult to breathe.

It just felt… Incredible. The fog cleared briefly when he was fully sheathed inside of her, becoming more aware of her movement and her hands, having moved from gripping the sheets now resting on his forearms. Her long neck and the pulse point just under the skin were begging for his teeth to drag along them.

She shifted her hips slightly and his mind fuzzed out at the movement. His body moved without any conscious thought, sliding out and slowly moving back in, the friction prickling goosebumps along his back and emptying his lungs of any air.

He would probably choose to live without oxygen if it meant feeling like this.

Katara looked up at the ceiling as he led himself into her, spreading her legs further apart. The lust and excitement that had dominated her mind was burning away with anxiety and second thoughts at a worryingly fast pace. She felt him nudging and then there was a twinge, a general discomfort in the area. She wrinkled her nose at the feeling of him inside her. It felt like…

Well, it didn’t feel nearly as good as she’d heard or what her body had been anticipating. When Suki had described it as ‘different,’ she was right. She shifted her hips, to the groan of her husband above. It felt like when she overstretched a muscle when she didn’t warm-up properly before a particularly hard sparring match. His hips pulled away and then he thrust back in with another pang of discomfort. She twitched her nose again before smoothing her face again, trying to relax. Feeling him inside her was so foreign and vaguely uncomfortable.

She tried to lose herself in the feel of him, anything to get her mind off of the feeling between her legs. She ran her hands over his arms, up past his shoulders and along his back. His hair was still half-up in a topknot that need to be undone. Her fingers twisted themselves in his hair.

She looked at his face, his dilated pupils, flushed cheeks, and the large scar. His body shifted, changing the angle into something deeper and she jerked at the pain. He corrected himself back to where he’d been previously, the pain dropping off into the prior discomfort.

How long did these things usually last? she wondered as she looked over his shoulder. She should’ve asked Suki. But apparently she needn’t have bothered, because Zuko’s head dropped into the crook of her neck and he let out a strangled moan, his hips shuddering against hers, his arms tense under her fingers.

His weight relaxed on top of her, warm and solid, as he caught his breath. After a few seconds, he withdrew completely from her, flopping next to her. The sound of his heavy breathing filled the room and he threw an arm over his eyes.

“Are you okay?”

He swallowed, “Just… Just give me a second.” His arm went back down by his side, his eyes wide as he looked at the ceiling and slowly exhaled. “I, yeah, I’m okay.” He looked over at her, “How are you?”

“I’m uh, fine,” she said, shifting her legs a bit. She felt… Slimy, and wrinkled her face at the sensation. “I think I’m going to take a bath,” she finally decided, slowly getting off the bed and cringing at the new sensation that something was slipping out between her legs.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Zuko asked, beginning to rise off the bed.

“Yeah, I just need to um, wash my hair,” Katara said, scurrying into the bathroom. She closed the door carefully, not wanting to slam it and worry him further. She let out a long exhale against it, closing her eyes.

They did it. They were married. They’d consummated the marriage. She was the Fire Lady of the Fire Nation, and he was the son-in-law of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe. Opposite elements bound together for the rest of their lives.

The hardest part of the night was over. Now would start the hardest part of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How 'bout that, huh? So this is the chapter is really the main reason I wanted to write this fic. I hadn't found a story that had an arranged marriage where the wedding was actually consummated on the wedding night. I mean, at this point, Zuko and Katara don't *really* love each other, but they are good, good friends. Friends who would trust each other with their lives. So why not just, you know, have sex? Just get the first time over with.
> 
> Anyway, follow me at angelaandmels.tumblr.com for chapter updates, sneak peeks, other fandom-related jazz. Feel free to send me prompts, love, etc there. Please comment, every comment warms my heart and I smile like such an idiot every time I see the emails. Thank you for reading!


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